The present invention relates to an enclosure for a splice between cables. In particular, the present invention relates to an enclosure that can be re-opened to permit access to the cable splice when required and then re-sealed. Such an enclosure may be referred to as a re-enterable enclosure. The cable may, for example, be a telecommunications cable, a power cable, an optical fiber cable, coaxial cable, or any other type of cable. The cable splice enclosed by the enclosure may, for example, be a longitudinally-extending splice (i.e., a splice between cables that extend generally from opposite directions) or a so-called “pig-tail”, or butt, splice (i.e., a splice between cables that extend generally from the same direction) or a distribution splice having at least one cable on one enclosure side and more than one cable on another side of the closure.
A cable splice generally requires protection from the effects of the environment in which it is located and, more particularly, requires protection against mechanical impact and the entry of moisture. Many different enclosures providing different levels of protection for cable splices are already available, including so-called re-enterable enclosures that can be re-opened to permit access to the splice whenever required.
Known re-enterable splice enclosures often take the form of a two-part re-openable housing that defines a cavity around the splice and contains a sealant material. The housing provides protection for the splice against mechanical impact and, in combination with the sealant material, protects the cavity against the entry of moisture while permitting access to the splice when the housing is re-opened. In some cases, the cavity is completely filled with sealant material, and, in other cases, the sealant material is provided only at points where moisture entry is likely, such as at cable entry points into the cavity and at joints of the housing.